Williamson and Braverman: Revenge for Regicide?

Williamson & BravermanRevenge for Regicide?

Simon Walters sees a historical pattern as two ministers who defected from Boris Johnson to Rishi Sunak appear to be targeted for their perfidy

Robert Harris’ latest novel ‘Act of Oblivion’ is based on the true story of the hunt by the government of Charles II for the Cromwellians who signed the death warrant of his father, Charles I.

It tells how two ‘regicides,’ Edward Whalley and William Goffe, both of whom existed, were pursued by those loyal to the monarch after fleeing to the new colony of America.

The search is led by one of Charles II’s officials, Richard Nayler, a fictitious character, obsessed with revenge after losing everything in the Civil War. 

Fanatical Nayler will stop at nothing to settle the Cavaliers’ scores against the Roundheads.

Something similar is going on in the Conservative Party.

For ‘regicides’ Whalley and Goffe read Suella Braverman and Gavin Williamson. In the eyes of the courtiers of deposed ‘King Boris’, they are guilty in sabotaging his restoration in the recent leadership contest just as Sunak was in bringing about his downfall in September.

Braverman’s defection to Rishi Sunak ended Johnson’s comeback bid; Williamson plotted Sunak’s Tory Parliamentary coup against him.

Both sat in Johnson’s Cabinet; they sit in Sunak’s only because they switched allegiance to him.

Now they are being hunted down by Tories who believe in Johnson’s divine right to rule.

Unlike the Cromwellian ‘regicides’ who faced the death penalty, Braverman and Williamson merely face the political chop. Leading the pursuit are two of Johnson’s most devoted lieutenants, ex-Tory chairman Sir Jake Berry and former Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries.

Their Cabinet careers were lost the day Sunak became PM but they have not given up the cause.

Berry publicly attacked Braverman following new claims of misconduct – and featured prominently in weekend reports of Williamson’s abusive texts to former Chief Whip Wendy Morton.

Dorries, who once retweeted an image of Sunak stabbing Johnson in the back with a knife, piled in publicly against Williamson. 

If Braverman and Williamson are forced to resign it will be a big blow to Sunak – and a victory for Johnson and his allies who see Sunak as a Cromwellian usurper.

Of course, unlike Charles II’s hunt for the ‘regicides’, Cavalier Johnson is currently in exile delivering lucrative speeches in the US or upstaging Tory Roundhead Rishi at COP27 in Egypt.

But few doubt the ‘prince across the water’ and his supporters’ dream of the day he is returned to his royally wallpapered No 10 throne and the heads of Rishi and the ‘regicides’ are paraded on pikes in Parliament Square.